Fourth-century Latin writers: Hilary, Victorinus, Ambrosiaster, Ambrose

Abstract

The middle to later years of the fourth century witnessed a remarkable proliferation of Christian Latin literature, especially in Italy and Gaul. One of the great lights of the Gallic Church, Bishop Hilary of Poitiers was born early in the fourth century and became bishop around the year 350. Among Hilary's earliest writings is a commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, the first Latin commentary on Matthew to have survived in its entirety. Hilary's major theological work was the twelve books now known as De Trinitate. The writings from Marius Victorinus' Christian period include a series of anti-Arian treatises and hymns, and the first Latin commentary on the Pauline Epistles. Ambrosiaster' is the name coined by Erasmus to refer to the author of the first complete Latin commentary on the thirteen Pauline Epistles, ascribed in most manuscripts to Ambrose. Ambrosiaster's commentary on Paul influenced later Latin commentators, among them Augustine and Pelagius.